Choosing Window Grids that Match Your Home
Sep 22, 2021The right types of window grids blend with the style of your home while adding special design touch
Choosing new windows for your home is a great opportunity to add a touch of design both inside and outside. The option to add window grids is one selection that lets you play with the look and feel of your home. Here’s a quick guide to choosing the grids that will work best for your home.
What are Window Grids?
In modern windows, grids are decorative inserts that visually divide a window into smaller sections. Long ago, windows used smaller glass panes held together with wood grids, also called grilles or muntins. This made it easier to manufacture windows, since large sheets of glass were difficult to make. Now that glass manufacturing and shipping are easier, grids are mostly decorative now, but still add style and historical touches to homes.
Grids or No Grids on Windows?
When designing your replacement windows, the choice to go with grids or no grids on windows comes down to three things:
- Personal preference
- Standards set by your neighborhood
- The style of your home
Personal Preference
Sometimes we get so used to the window styles in our current homes, we can’t picture a different design. If that’s the case for you, ask yourself a few questions to determine which grids you like best:
- Do you like the way your home looks with grids or no grids on windows?
- Have you seen other homes with different grid styles that you like?
- Do you have beautiful views or other considerations that would make it worthwhile to choose gridless windows?
Neighborhood Standards
Next, check your neighborhood guidelines for home design requirements. Some homeowners’ associations (HOAs) require all homes in the neighborhood to choose from certain grid patterns.
Do you live in a historic district? Check with your local historic preservation board on any rules you might have to follow.
Matching different types of window grids to different home styles
Finally, consider how window grid styles blend with the style of your home. Most homeowners choose the same style for all windows, though there may be some exceptions. Let’s go through each of our window grid styles to see where they fit best.
Colonial Window Grids
Prairie Window Grids
Diamond Window Grids
Gridless Windows
Colonial Window Grids
Colonial window grids are the most popular grid style, and are great for most homes. Typically seen on colonial, Cape Cod, and some farmhouse-style homes, colonial grids are most frequently requested on popular double-hung windows. In these applications, colonial grids usually have a “six-up, six-down” design, meaning the top and bottom window sashes are visually divided into six panes each.
Prairie Window Grids
Prairie window grids have a thin grid around the perimeter of the sash with crosses at each corner. Like a picture frame for your window, this style leaves more open glass area in the middle of the window, while offering a designer touch around the edges. Prairie grids are popular on craftsman and prairie-style homes, and work well on double-hung, casement, and picture windows.
Diamond Window Grids
If you live in a Tudor or Victorian-style home, diamond window grids are a beautiful and period-appropriate choice. As the name implies, diamond grids visually divide window glass diagonally, for a more ornate design than other styles. This makes them perfect for classic types of architecture. Diamond grids work well on double-hung, casement, and picture windows.
Gridless Windows
Window grids are optional, so you can always select gridless windows for your home. Many contemporary or Mid-Century Modern homes look best with no grids, but gridless windows can work on any home. They’re also a great way to maximize beautiful views!
Mixing window grid styles
Most homeowners use the same window grid styles throughout the home, but choosing multiple styles is possible. We often apply this option to double-hung windows with two sashes, sliders with a fixed center sash, or to bay or bow window installations with multiple windows.
For example, for a craftsman home, you might choose prairie window grids for the top sash, and gridless windows for the bottom sash. Some colonial homes will do the same with colonial window grids. Bay and bow windows combine multiple windows that you can customize. For a bay window in a Tudor-style home, you might choose a gridless picture window in the center, and casement windows with diamond window grids on either side. The options are endless!
Get trained window design advice
As you make your replacement window selections, be sure to give some thought to your options for adding more style. Improveit’s design consultants are happy to offer their professional insight into the types of window design features that would work best in your home. Schedule an appointment today for a free consultation!
